250 watt heat lamp to close or to far

[Hyroler]

Use a regular 60 watt light bulb.heat lamp bulbs are for cooking

 

[Hyroler]

Last week someone posted they were using 250watt bulb and all chicks died.

 

[Hyroler]

250watt light gets so hot chicks get delirious and can't move away from bulb.

 

[bobbi-j]

Where are your chicks being kept? What are you using for a brooder? Do they have room to get out from under that heat if they want? There are a lot of factors that determine the size of the lamp you use.

Until this year I used a heat lamp in the coop with my chicks. This year I tried a MHP (Mama Heating Pad) brooder. It's great! The chicks can go in and out of the heat as they need, and you don't have to worry about a heat lamp over heating them. Maybe something for you to consider for future reference.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

250 watt was all they had

If you go to the pet store, in the reptile section you'll find red heat bulbs labelled as bird safe in several lower wattages. I don't find anything under 75 watt useful for my area, the room I brood in stays about 60 until summer.

 

[Hyroler]

Where are your chicks being kept? What are you using for a brooder? Do they have room to get out from under that heat if they want? There are a lot of factors that determine the size of the lamp you use.

Until this year I used a heat lamp in the coop with my chicks. This year I tried a MHP (Mama Heating Pad) brooder. It's great! The chicks can go in and out of the heat as they need, and you don't have to worry about a heat lamp over heating them. Maybe something for you to consider for future reference.

How close did you have heat lamp ?Was it 250watts?you said in co-op so chicks could move away from heat and I'm sure there was airflow.
He has 250watt bulb less than 2feet away in a 3ft. X 3ft box .I'm telling you he is cooking them.

 

[blayt90]

Where are your chicks being kept? What are you using for a brooder? Do they have room to get out from under that heat if they want? There are a lot of factors that determine the size of the lamp you use.

Until this year I used a heat lamp in the coop with my chicks. This year I tried a MHP (Mama Heating Pad) brooder. It's great! The chicks can go in and out of the heat as they need, and you don't have to worry about a heat lamp over heating them. Maybe something for you to consider for future reference.

I use the MHP with my ducklings and it works great and I never have to worry about adjusting the height. They come and go as they need heat like they would in nature.

 

[bobbi-j]

How close did you have heat lamp ?Was it 250watts?you said in co-op so chicks could move away from heat and I'm sure there was airflow.
He has 250watt bulb less than 2feet away in a 3ft. X 3ft box .I'm telling you he is cooking them.

I missed the post where it says the lamp is less than 2 feet away and a 3' x 3' box... If that is the case, then yes - it is too close and they will cook.

 

[fur-mum]

I used a MHP this year and it was grand. They slept better and seemed more well adjusted. There were no overheating issues like I had when I tried using a lamp. That thing scared me.

 

[bobbi-j]

My issue with the heat lamp wasn't so much that it scared me, but I didn't feel I could just hang it in one place and have the control I wanted over the temperature. I brooded chicks in my coop in the end of March with a heat lamp and brooder box. (Specially built by my DH). I was constantly raising and lowering the thing, depending on the temperatures outside. It got down to 28* one night and I was worried that they'd pile under it, so I lowered it enough to melt the plastic frame of the thermometer! (The chicks were fine.) But during the day when it got to 65*, I'd raise it "just to be sure" they could get out of the heat. I love the MHP, because I don't have to worry about it. They are in a 4' x 8' section of coop - no brooder to speak of. I actually have 2 MHPs, a waterer and feeder in there and they still have plenty of room to roam. It's a great setup!